Wilmington’s Joe Harbach Named CACC Baseball Player of the Year

Wilmington’s Joe Harbach Named CACC Baseball Player of the Year

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (May 8, 2012) – Wilmington University senior Joe Harbach (Abingdon, Md.) was honored as the 2012 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Baseball Player of the Year following a vote by the league's 11 head coaches. The announcement was made by Commisioner Daniel Mara of Waterbury.


University of the Sciences junior Dan McMahon (Millville, N.J.) was recognized as the 2012 CACC Baseball Pitcher of the Year, while Nyack's John Kennedy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was selected as the 2012 CACC Baseball Rookie of the Year.

Nyack skipper Matt Cornacchione was chosen as the 2012 CACC Coach of the Year by his peers, while Philadelphia University was the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award.

Harbach was honored with the league's top honor following a regular season that saw him lead the CACC with a .404 batting average and 67 hits.  He also paced the conference with a league-leading 40 RBI and six triples.  He also posted the top on-base percentage (.498) and slugging percentage (.633) in the conference.

McMahon enjoyed a solid season on the mound as he led the CACC in the regular season with seven wins, five complete games and 76 strikeouts.  He held his opponents to a league-low .212 batting average, while posting a 2.18 earned run average (6th-best in CACC).  McMahon was recognized as the CACC Pitcher of the Week as well as the East Regional and the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, for the period ending March 11.  McMahon's selection marked the first time in CACC history that a baseball player representing the conference has been honored as a National Pitcher or Player of the Week by the NCBWA.

Kennedy had a breakthrough rookie campaign as he swiped a league-leading 55 bases, which is the highest single-season total in CACC history, snapping the previous mark of 45, established by Caldwell's Michael Kolesar in 2004.  He also led the conference in runs scored with 42 and posted the league's third-highest hit total with 60 while posting a .337 batting average. 

Coach of the Year, Cornacchione led Nyack to a 23-22 overall mark (11-9 in CACC) and a No. 5 seed in the 2012 CACC Baseball Championship.  The Warriors won 20 more games than they did in 2011, when they posted a 3-35 overall record.

Joining Harbach and McMahon on the All-CACC first team are Rafael Medina (Bloomfield College), Jesse Daywalt (Chestnut Hill College) , Phil Delisle (Nyack College) , BJ Janney (Wilmington University), Mike Godwin (Wilmington University), Andrew Camardella (Dominican College), Emilio Fernandez (Bloomfield College), Joe Petosa (Felician College), Luis Nova (Bloomfield College), Brian Dudzinski (Felician College), Jordan Oncay (Wilmington University) and Luis Gonzalez (Concordia College)

The All-CACC  Baseball Second Team includes JD Calabrese (Nyack College), Kris Chatman (Nyack College), Jonattan Fernandez (Bloomfield College), Anthony Koban (Bloomfield College), Kevin Whitehead (Felician College), Adam Soley (Wilmington University), John Kennedy (Nyack College), Tony Blake (Dominican College), George Hajjar (Felician College), Jason Berrios (Concordia College), Jamie Treml (Wilmington University), Justin DeLong (Wilmington University), Francesco Scudiero (Bloomfield College), Matthew Facendo (Felician College), Oliver Christensen (Dominican College)

Honorable mention choices include Rick Reigner (Philadelphia University), Alexandre Beland (Post), Mike Farrell (Felician) and Jimmy Simpson (Felician).

The 2012 CACC Baseball Championship will take place begin with a pair of single-elimination games at campus sites on Tuesday, May 8 before moving to Wilmington University for games on Thursday, May 10 before wrapping up at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington on May 11-12, the home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

 

2012 CACC BASEBALL AWARD WINNERS
2012 CACC Baseball Player of the Year
Joe Harbach, Wilmington University

2012 CACC Baseball Pitcher of the Year
Dan McMahon, University of the Sciences

2012 CACC Baseball Rookie of the Year
John Kennedy, Nyack College

 2012 CACC Baseball Coach of the Year
Matthew Cornacchione, Nyack College

2012 CACC Baseball Team Sportsmanship Award
Philadelphia University

2012 All-CACC Baseball First Team
1B - Rafael Medina, Bloomfield College
2B - Jesse Daywalt, Chestnut Hill College
SS - Phil Delisle, Nyack College
3B - BJ Janney, Wilmington University
C - Mike Godwin, Wilmington University
DH - Andrew Camardella, Dominican College
OF - Joe Harbach, Wilmington University
OF - Emilio Fernandez, Bloomfield College
OF - Joe Petosa, Felician College
SP - Dan McMahon, University of the Sciences
SP - Luis Nova, Bloomfield College
SP - Brian Dudzinski, Felician College
RP - Jordan Oncay, Wilmington University
UT - Luis Gonzalez, Concordia College

2012 All-CACC Baseball Second Team
1B - JD Calabrese, Nyack College
2B - Kris Chatman, Nyack College
SS - Jonattan Fernandez, Bloomfield College
3B - Anthony Koban, Bloomfield
C - Kevin Whitehead, Felician
DH - Adam Soley, Wilmington University
OF - John Kennedy, Nyack College
OF -Tony Blake, Dominican College
OF - George Hajjar, Felician College
OF - Jason Berrios, Concordia College
SP - Jamie Treml, Wilmington University
SP - Justin DeLong, Wilmington University
SP - Francesco Scudiero, Bloomfield College
RP - Matthew Facendo, Felician College
UT - Oliver Christensen, Dominican College

Honorable Mention:  Rick Reigner (Philadelphia University), Alexandre Beland (Post), Mike Farrell (Felician), Jimmy Simpson (Felician).